Cruise Port schedule, live map, terminals, news

Port Kiel (officially "Kieler Hafen") is located in northern Germany, on the Baltic Sea’s inlet and at the eastern end of Kiel Canal. This port city is also the Schleswig-Holstein state's capital (population around 235,000). The port is located approx 90 km (56 ml) north of Hamburg. Due to the city's geographic location, Kieler Hafen has become one of the major passenger (ferry and cruise) and cargo ports of Germany. The port is also known for its annually held Kiel Week ("Kieler Woche") - the world's biggest sailing regatta.

Port Kiel is also a German Navy base (since 1838) and has a shipyard for submarines. Big part of seaport's cruise ship schedule are homeported vessels of the German brands AIDA,TUI, Fred Olsen. Among the largest cruise companies operating through the port are Holland America, MSC, Costa, P&O UK, Pullmantur, Ponant, Viking Ocean, Saga. Traditionally, ships visiting Port Kiel for the first time (making "maiden port call") are met and accompanied by a tugboat (performing a water fountain display) and a commemorative plaque is given to the Captain.

Port Kiel

Port's cruising season runs from early April through late October. For FY2017 (fiscal year), the seaport reported a record-year with handled over 7,4 million tons of cargoes and 2,1 million passengers (ferry and cruise). Kiel’s main passenger shipping business are the regularly scheduled ferries to Sweden, Norway and Russia, while summer is the "cruising season".

During season 2015, the port handled a total of 133 cruise ship calls.

On July 15, 2016, the newest TUI ship Mein Schiff 5 sailed on a Cruise to Nowhere from Kiel. The 1-night itinerary had no other ports of call. The ship leaved at 3 pm (July 15) and returned back to port at 7 am (on July 16).

In 2016, the cruise port handled a total of 485,200 passengers (5,8% increase over 2015) with a total of 147 ship calls by 26 different vessels (10,5% increase over 2015). AIDA, TUI, MSC, HAL and Costa accounted for over 100 visits.

In 2017 (April 9 through October 21), the port handled a total of 143 cruise ship calls by 29 different vessels (drop of 2,7 % over 2016) and over 0,5 million passengers (513,500, or 5,8% increase over 2016). The record-breaking year was marked by the two largest German cruise companies - AIDA and TUI - both homeporting in Kiel, respectively, 4 and 3 of their vessels. Among the other major cruise companies visiting the port were MSC, Costa and Holland America (combined over 100 ship calls). There were 11 days when here berthed 3 and 4 cruise vessels at a time. The season's highlight was the Kieler Woche opening on June 18. During the regatta's opening, in Kile were berthed 5 ocean ships and two riverboats, in addition to the regularly scheduled Ro-Ro ferries.

Season 2017's largest cruise liner was the 2008-launched MSC Fantasia (138,000 GT tons, max capacity 3930 passengers plus 1370 crew). This ship alone was homeported for a total of 21 roundtrip Baltic Sea cruises from Kiel. Nearly 2/3 of all homeported in Kiel ships were operated by the companies AIDA, TUI, Costa and MSC.

Season 2018 started on April 6 with Boudicca (Fred Olsen) and ended on October 28 with AIDAbella. This was port's longest cruise shipping season, wit htotal 166 calls (by 33 different cruise ships, combined GT tonnage over 11 million tons) and nearly 600,000 passengers (17% increase over 2017).

On April 26, 2018, officials from Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel's Mayor, Seehafen Kiel, Costa Group and Carnival Asia (sunbsidiaries of Carnival Corporation) met onboard AIDAluna. During the meeting was signed an agreement for joint promotion of sustainable eco-friendly cruise shipping in Port Kiel. By this agreement, SEEHAFEN KIEL started (on Oct 26) to build shoreside powerplant (at Norwegenkai Terminal), while AIDA ships use LNG fuel (when berthed) and were upgraded with EGCSA (scrubbers) - exhaust gas cleaning systems. By the agreement, AIDA upgraded AIDAbella and AIDAluna with shoreside power capabilities. Port's total investment in this project was EUR 1,3 million. As builder was contracted Siemens AG. The Norwegenkai shorepower plant has max output 4,5 MW.

Port's total passenger traffic in 2018 was over 2,1 million (including over 1,5 million ferry passengers). All these passengers generated a turnover in Port Kiel over EUR 50 million. For the first time, port's total cruise ship tonnage passed 11 million GT tons. International cruise passengers arriving in Kiel often pre-book daily excursions throughout Schleswig-Holstein, also to Lubeck and Hamburg.

In 2018, 14 ship calls were during Kieler Woche sailing regatta (June 16-24), including 2 by riverboats. There were also 12 days with 3+ ocean-going vessels docked. On August 11, 5 liners were berthed at the same time.

On May 4, 2018, Pullmantur Cruises made company's maiden port call with Zenith (berthed at Ostseekai Terminal). The ship was on 8-day repositioning cruise (April 27 - May 5) from Lisbon to Warnemunde.

In late summer 2018 started construction works on a second (new, EUR 30 million) Ostseekai Terminal (read more in port's "Terminal" section).

BLUE PORT KIEL

"BLUE PORT KIEL" is an ongoing development project that outlines in-port strategies and initiatives to make the used energy resources more efficient, to reduce emissions and replace the hinterland transport with railways.

Since 2010 only vessels using low-sulphur fuel and vessels with installed scrubbers are allowed to dock.

For many eayrs, Kiel's seaport is covering all of its energy from sustainable and regenerative sources. All terminal facilities are energy efficient and with LED lighting. At Ostuferhafen, solar panels were mounted on warehouses' roofs and on passenger terminals. Of all the port's vehicle fleet, 15% are fully-electric.

In 2017, at Ostseekai was inaugurated Europe’s most advanced wastewater processing plant.

LNG bunkering operations are planned to start in spring 2019, when the liner AIDAprima will be homeported here.

Short-break (mini cruises) leaving round-trip from Kiel are offered mainly by AIDA (4-nights) and visit Norway (Oslo or Goteborg / with overnight stays) and Denmark (Copenhagen). There are also 2-night / 3-day long round-trips to Copenhagen alone.

Transatlantic crossings on repositioning cruises from Kiel to USA and Canada-New England are one-way itineraries offered at the end of the season (late August - early September). Westbound ship relocation routes often include stops in Iceland, Greenland and UK ports, and usually end in NYC New York.

Relocation cruises to the Mediterranean leaving from Kiel are offered mostly by Costa and MSC ships repositioning to their home-ports in Italy (Savona, Genoa, Civitavecchia-Rome, Venice).

Kiel cruise terminal

Kiel is a smaller turnaround cruise port in Northern Europe and among the most visited ports of call along itineraries to Norway Fjords, Scandinavia and Russia (Baltic Sea). Kiel port has 4 cruise ship terminals named Ostseekai, Ostuferhafen (Berth 1), Norwegenkai and Schwedenkai. The main one (accommodating the largest ships) is Ostseekai.

Ostseekai is regularly visited for docking of big-sized cruise liners from the fleets of AIDA, Costa, MSC, TUI.

In 2018 started construction works on the second terminal building at Ostseekai (project cost EUR 7,5 million). The new 2-storey building is sized 3700 m2 / 39800 ft2, designed by the Hamburg-based company einszueins Architekten BDA. and scheduled for completion in 2019 Q1. The new terminal is integrated with the existing building, with connections on both levels. The new building's frontage picks up on existing surroundings, featuring huge glass surfaces, a combined (for two buildings) V-shaped reception area, large outdoor terrace.

Kiel-Ostuferhafen cruise terminal

Ostuferhafen is mainly a cargo port. A new cruise terminal facility ("Berth 1") was opened on June 2, 2014, and Costa Pacifica was the first ship to dock there. At Berth 1 can dock world's largest passenger liners LOA length up to 400 m / 1300 ft). Terminal's water depth is 11,5 m (38 ft). The building has length 110 m (360 ft). The reconstruction project (Berth 1 is a converted warehouse) cost around EUR 4,5 million. In 2015, Berth 1 received 18 ship calls.

The car parking space is at 2-min walking distance from the terminal and there is bus shuttle available.

Next YouTube video shows KIEL FERRY TERMINAL (OSTUFERHAFEN).

Kiel-Norwegenkai ferry and cruise ship terminal

location (GPS coordinates) - latitude=54.31631, longitude 10.13923

Norwegenkai terminal (Norwegian Quay) is the port's second cruise ship terminal. At Norwegenkai dock mainly local ferries, most of which serve the route Kiel-Oslo (Norway).

The terminal's construction was part of the Kai-City Kiel project (completed 1997). A pedestrian bridge connects the terminal to the city's west bank. Norwegenkai has a passenger and ferry (Ro-Ro) terminals. Norwegenkai serves the shipping trade routes with Scandinavian countries . The Color Line's ships Color Magic and Color Fantasy operate regularly the itinerary route between Kiel and Oslo transporting both passengers and rolling cargo. Between 2008-2012, Norwegenkai's area was expanded northeast and now has additional storage and building space.

During summer months, Norwegenkai is additionally used for docking of cruise vessels.

Norwegenkai terminal is visible clearly from the trains station. The terminal building is impressive, made of concrete, glass and steel.

Kiel-Schwedenkai ferry and cruise ship terminal

location (GPS coordinates) - latitude=54.319413, longitude 10.1380999

Schwedenkai terminal (Swedish Quay) serves mainly the Stena Line (passenger and Ro-Ro ferries). A passenger gangway connects the terminal building directly to the ships.

Stena Line serves the itinerary route between Kiel and Goteborg (Sweden) and operates some of the world's largest ferry ships. Terminal's reconstruction project cost around Euro 30 million, of which over Euro 20 million were invested in the terminal building and 12 million in logistics and infrastructure optimization.

Schwedenkai dates from 1967 and serves mainly ferries.

The Kile port area is among the city's most intersting tourist attractions. It comprises the Kiel Yacht Club, the German Navy port and Laboe (historic place). Laboe used to be a Slavic farming and fishing village. Currently it is a popular resort.

Institute of Marine Biology: located at Düsternbrooker Weg 20. The institute houses sea and fresh water aquariums and a pool for seals.

Port Kiel cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Kiel, Germany. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

The Kiel cruise port map is interactive. It shows the port's exact location, along with the real-time
cruise ship traffic (if any) in its vicinity - today, and right now. By zooming-out you can see other cruise ship ports
located near Kiel, Germany.

If you lose the Kiel location on the map, simply reload the page (also with F5 button).
This feature is integrated with the CruiseMapper's cruise ship tracker
tracking the vessels' current positions at sea and in ports.